Chelsea Balls: The Daily Mail’s Attack On Andreas Christensen Is Based On A Hunch

HOW football reporting works: The Daily Mail obliges its promise to feature one story a day on the big clubs. It tweets: “On £20,000 a week…and he plays for Chelsea’s youth team.”

He’s Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen, signed from Danish club Brondby in 2012.

The Mail writes:

“Meet Andreas Christensen, the 18-Year-Old Chelsea defender who is on £1million a year but has never played for the first team. Andreas Christensen, described as a ‘gazelle’ by pretty much anyone who has ever watched him play, turned 18 on April 10. He earns £20,000 a week and has not made a first team appearance. Something, somewhere, is going wrong when youth team players are walking around with that kind of money.”

Wow, indeed. He’s earning a fortune and he’s yet to represent Chelsea in any meaningful way. Twenty grand a week! Something is going wrong. But what? And why is it wrong? Much to discuss.

And joining the debate is the player’s father, who says the story is balls:

“It is completely out of proportion, what the Daily Mail has written about Andreas’ salary. It is tasteless and very far from reality. Yes, it’s bad, nowhere near what Andreas makes at Chelsea.”

So…. That scoop is utter balls? Something went wrong, but it’s not with football. But this is the Mail, so the reverse ferret still manages to give the target a nip:. Neil Ashton has a deadline to hit:

At the Emirates on Thursday evening the highest-paid player in the history of the FA Youth Cup will play for Chelsea in the second leg of the semi-final against Arsenal. Andreas Christensen, described as a ‘gazelle’ by pretty much anyone who has ever watched him play, turned 18 on April 10. Sportsmail sources report he earns £20,000 a week – although the club refute that – and he has yet to make a first team appearance.

So. Is he the highest-paid player in the history of the FA Youth Cup or not?

Whatever the exact sum of money in his pocket, he is carrying a lot of change for a youth team player a long way from the first team.

Ashton has no idea. But, still, he managed to fill some space and hit his target for the day. So. Well done…